Bulgaria is a country famous for its beautiful sea resorts, rock concerts that gather thousands

of fans or roman fortifications that are still on feet from long time ago. But few know about
Rila, a monastery which is considered to be the spiritual center of the country. Some even
say this place is number two in the list of the most important churches in Balkanic Europe,
right after the 20 churches from Mount Athos in Greece.

Built in the 10th century by Ivan Rislki, the famous Bulgarian vindicator, the monastery won
its place in the UNESCO World Heritage because of its amazing architecture. Measuring a
total of 8800 square meters, the exterior of the monastery is not the prettiest ever made,
but the inner courtyard and the interior design is the one you should look after: amazing
arcades, stairs or covered balconies, offering the eye a real pleasure. Situated in the
neighborhood of the Govedartsi resort, all you need to do in order to get there is to follow
the road south from the town. Once there, you can go check in, just like at the hotel, and the
monks will be sure to get you anything you need. Don’t forget to stay away from walking
with your hands in your pockets, as it is considered to be a rude gesture.

Although it looks like a fortress, the interior of the monastery is the one to really enjoy,
because of the beautiful frescoes. Powerfully colored, they are telling stories about saints,
Constantinople or the famous “good versus evil” battle. You will also find a real museum of
churches objects inside. The most precious one is the “Rafail’s Cross”, a crucifix made from a
wood piece, on which Rafail draw 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures. 12 years
has taken Rafail to finish it, but he couldn’t enjoy it even a bit, because he got blind from the
rough work.

If you really want to discover how a true believer in God lived, you may go visit the cave in
which Saint Ivan lived. You need special equipment to do that and a monk to guide you, as
the road to it is very hard to follow. After a day of visiting, you can get back to Sofia, but very
well stay at the monastery, in one of the rooms for visitors. Its free, but you need to book
one in the morning, because by 5 in the evening all of them are regularly occupied. So if you
still are in search of old art and history, peace and quiet, or simply want to get out of town,
far away from noisy traffic and horns, the Rila monastery is the place to go and visit. You will
get all of the above mentioned in classic, calm Bulgarian style.